Chines take ancient health skills to Jamaica

(CNS): Chinese medics will be demonstrating their ancient and traditional medical skills such as acupuncture and cupping as well as providing modern health care to Jamaicans, the Chinese embassy in Kingston has said. The Chinese People's Liberation Army’s navy hospital ship the Ark Peace landed in Jamaica on Saturday October 29 and 100 health professionals will offer volunteer medical service to Jamaican people both aboard and at the Olympic Garden Health during its five day stay. “Over 100 Jamaican patients will benefit from using on-board CAT, ultrasound facilities which are rarely functioning in Jamaica,” said the Chinese officials.

This is the second stop of the hospital ship’s 100-day voyage across the Pacific and around the Caribbean on ‘Mission Harmony’.  The 14300-ton and 178-meter-long ship carries aboard a state-of-the-art 300-bed hospital that can be deployed for wartime evacuation, medical support for warships, international humanitarian mission and disaster relief, Chinese officials claimed in a release from its Jamaican Embassy.

The Ship was launched three years ago but is making only its second trip abroad after treating 15,500 people last year on a voyage to the Gulf of Aden and five African and Asian countries.

During its visit to Jamaica Chinese health professionals and their Jamaican colleagues will have opportunities to visit each others hospitals (on-board) and conduct medical exchange at seminars, while Chinese Navy football and basketball teams will play with JDF teams.
A spokesman from Chinese Embassy said the visit would add a new dimension to China-Jamaica relationship that has seen rapid development in recent years.